DD.MM.1910-DD.MM.RRRR C. K. armáda DD.MM.1910-DD.MM.1911 1. pevnostní dělostřelecký pluk DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR K. u K. Luftfahrtruppen DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.1914 Flik 1 (technický důstojník) 28.07.1914-DD.01.1916 Flik 1 (pozorovatel) DD.01.1916-DD.01.1916 testování letecké výzbroje DD.01.1916-DD.07.1916 Flik 19 (pozorovatel) DD.07.1916-DD.10.1916 hospitalizace 23.06.1917-DD.07.1917 Flik 41J (pilot) DD.07.1917-30.10.1917 Flik 12D (pilot) 30.10.1917-16.01.1918 Flik 56J (zástupce velitele) 16.01.1918-DD.09.1918 Flik 51J (velitel) DD.09.1918-DD.MM.RRRR velitelství letectva DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR vojenské letiště Hörsching (velitel)
DD.MM.1910-DD.MM.RRRR C. K. Army DD.MM.1910-DD.MM.1911 1st Fort Artillery Regiment DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR K. u K. Luftfahrtruppen DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.1914 Flik 1 (technical officer) 28.07.1914-DD.01.1916 Flik 1 (observer) DD.01.1916-DD.01.1916 testing of the air arsenal DD.01.1916-DD.07.1916 Flik 19 (observer) DD.07.1916-DD.10.1916 hospitalisation 23.06.1917-DD.07.1917 Flik 41J (pilot) DD.07.1917-30.10.1917 Flik 12D (pilot) 30.10.1917-16.01.1918 Flik 56J (deputy commander) 16.01.1918-DD.09.1918 Flik 51J (commander) DD.09.1918-DD.MM.RRRR Air Force Command DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR Hörsching military airport (commander)
He was born on 16 June in Vienna into an aristocratic family with a tradition of military service. His father was an artillery officer and his brother was a naval aviator... Fiala graduated from primary school, high school and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Vienna. From his early youth he was fascinated by aviation, but joined as a cadet in the 1st Fortress Artillery Regiment.
On one visit to the airfield, whether for business or personal reasons, he met Emil Uzelac, the Air Force Commander. Uzelac arranged his transfer to Flik 1 as a technical officer. Fiala completed his training as an aerial observer on 28 July 1914, the day Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
In early November 1914, he accompanied a transport of material on a train that was attacked by Russian troops. Fiala took control of the locomotive and drove the entire train to safety. For this he was awarded the Silver Medal of Merit. On 10 November 1914 he was promoted to leutnant.
Although he had been trained as an aerial observer, he learned to fly and began to arm aircraft experimentally with machine guns. He also experimented with photographic cameras and was the first to install and successfully test a 30-kilogram radio transmitter in an aircraft. He used it in May 1915 at the Battle of Gorlice-Tarnow on the Russian front, where he corrected mortar fire by radio.
He was subsequently transferred to Flik 19 on the Italian front. Here he flew the Hansa-Brandenburg C.I, with which he shot down his first confirmed opponent on 29 April 1916. On 4 May 1916 he shot down an Italian M-4 airship in cooperation with another aircraft. However, the crew of another airship shot him down in the Gorizia area of Italy on another flight. Fiala was wounded by anti-aircraft artillery in early 1917. After recovering, he was sent to Flik 41J and then to Flik 12D, where he flew the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I.
In November he was again transferred, this time to Flik 56J with Albatros D. III. In January 1918 he was appointed commander of Flik 51J. Notable was his 14th victory on 30 May 1918, when he shot down British ace Alan Jerrard, winner of the Victoria Cross.
After the war, he returned to school, graduated from the Faculty of Engineering in Vienna, and received his engineering degree in 1923. Between 1925 and 1927 he worked under Professor Hugo Junkers. In 1928 he entered into a business partnership with Mitsubishi Industries of Japan, producing all-metal aircraft for the USA.
In March 1933, he was arrested by the Gestapo and placed under house arrest, on the direct orders of Gestapo chief Hermann Göring. After his release from house arrest, he fled Germany for his native Austria.
Here, together with a wartime colleague Julius Arigi, they founded an airport operating company. He was a director of this company until 1936. During World War II he served in the Luftwaffe with the rank of Hauptmann.
After World War II he worked at the airport in Hörsching, Austria.
He died in Vienna on 29 October 1964 at the age of 74.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Fiala-Benno-t61707#317028
Version : 0
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Fiala-Benno-t61707#663661
Version : 0
Reklama
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Fiala-Benno-t61707#663662
Version : 0
Join us
We believe that there are people with different interests and experiences who could contribute their knowledge and ideas. If you love military history and have experience in historical research, writing articles, editing text, moderating, creating images, graphics or videos, or simply have a desire to contribute to our unique system, you can join us and help us create content that will be interesting and beneficial to other readers.